St Johns College Dubbo Term 3, Week 4 2024

Principal

Dear St Johns Community

On Thursday 8 August we celebrated Saint Mary MacKillop’s Feast Day.

Mary MacKillop was canonised in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, making her Australia’s first saint. She was the sort of woman who rolled up her sleeves and got on with work that had to be done. In 19th Century Australia, when Mary saw families living on the margins without access to education, she set out to open a school in an old stable and teach children herself. She was inclusive in her welcome of others; colour, creed or circumstance. Mary understood the fair go and the second chance and the need for every person to be accorded a rightful dignity. Later, as she formed the Sisters of St Joseph, they endured all kinds of challenges to go wherever the need was greatest. And, despite facing those enormous challenges, they continued to walk with people in kindness and love every step of the way. Mary MacKillop continues to be an inspiration to all of us who work and lead in Catholic education.
This August, as we celebrate Mary’s feast day, let us continue to look for ways to walk in Mary’s footsteps. Like Mary, we can all strive to be fierce in the face of adversity as well as find ways to be fair to others and act wherever we see injustice. Let us remember to call on the strength of Mary MacKillop as we work together to make the world a little bit better each day.

Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for the example of Mary MacKillop who, in her living of the Gospel,
witnessed to the human dignity of each person.
She faced life’s challenges with faith and courage.
We pray through her intercession for our needs.
May her holiness inspire us to be people of hope, love and forgiveness.
We make this prayer through Jesus the Lord.
Amen.

God bless

Justin McCarney
Principal

Religious Education

Dear Families,

Last week we had the privilege of sharing some time with a group of Year 11 students from De LaSalle Catholic College, Caringbah. As mentioned last newsletter, St Johns College has the De LaSalle brothers as one of its charisms. Our visitors spent the day with a group of our Year 11 students on Wednesday. We showed them our Cultural Centre here at school, and our AEO Tracey Rapley told them a Dreaming story which then inspired them to paint their story on a boomerang (which they then got to take home as a souvenir). We then walked around the Macquarie River, had a rock skimming contest and enjoyed the sunshine. We finished the afternoon by doing some community service at St Brigid’s Church. Fr Greg appreciated having lots of extra sets of hands to do some of the jobs that have been on his list. The group then headed back to the College where a whole new group of Year 11 students were waiting. Our visitors were shown around the College, including the Ag farm, which was an eye opening experience for many of our city friends. We night finished with a Liturgy that focused on how our shared LaSallian heritage defines us.
On the Thursday night, it was a City vs Country Ten Pin Bowling Challenge. Many of our Year 11 students gave of their time to join with our visitors and share a good time. It was amazing to see our students making friends and showing them good old country hospitality.

It was quite fitting that we had so many Year 11 students step up and show leadership skills, as on Friday last week all Year 11 took part in a Leadership Day. It is our strong belief here at the College that all senior students are leaders, regardless of whether they wear a badge. The cohort spent the day together exploring ‘Servant Leadership’ which is based on how Jesus led. He ‘washed the feet’ of others - he served them. This is what we hope our student leaders do in their roles. It was wonderful to watch our Year 11 students observing the leadership style of their peers and allowing themselves to show their leadership style to one another in the lead up student leadership nominations. The whole cohort proved themselves to be considerate, thoughtful and respectful and I am very much looking forward to them all stepping up and leading our school next year. 

Yours in Faith

Elissa Burden
Leader of Ministry and Mission

De LaSalle Caringbah Visit

Yr 11 Leadership Day

Teaching and Learning

Academic Excellence Awards Semester 1

At our awards assembly today we congratulated those students who have achieved outstanding academic results in Semester 1.

We celebrate their achievement, as well as the high level of dedication, and often tough decisions they have to make to focus on their study and assessment tasks. High grades don’t come for free. 

To determine our award recipients we have used a grade point average system. Simply, we have turned student grades into numbers and then calculated the average based on the number of subjects studied. This system rightly acknowledges the high level of consistency and effort students have shown across their subjects, as they have maintained a GPA of 3.+.

We also have a really large group of students who will be awarded Academic Achievement Awards at the next year group assemblies. These students have demonstrated great effort and achievement with GPAs of 2.6+.

Well done everyone - you are an inspiring and motivating force in our school.

Year 7
James Bassett, Sienna Blackhall, Chelsea Brook, Lilly Butler, Kye Bywater, Ava Rose Carr, Ellie Carrigan-Green, Fiona Chen, Maebelle Clarke, Ava Cross, Taylah Eames, Harrison Edwards, Ivana Giri, Lillith Hanson, Risandi Herath-Pathiratnage, Fletcher Horsburgh, Addison Hunt, Bella Jacobson, Rihaana Jose, Phoebe  Lavelle, Amelia Laws, Ruby Lindsay, Isla Maas, Isabella Mathieson, Dylan McKechnie, Lara McKenzie, Francis Nepomuceno, Sashmi Perera, Amarni Reidy, Thaksan Seeralan, Lachlan Webeck

Year 8
Ma Yzabela Jane Ampongan, Alexander Benton, Aayan Bukhari, Toby Chater, Jessica Cook, Jack Cross, Toby Davis, Ginger Elliott, Rochelle Faber, Bella Finlay, Rose Fletcher, Harry Gardiner, Ava Gardner, Trish Sophie Gonzales, Charlotte Hall, Lucy Heckendorf, Eadie Hughes, Elizabeth Jones, Molly Jones, Riya Khamar, Apurva Kulkarni, Annahad Nijjar, Lachlan O'Leary, Brodie Pearson, Angelina Perera, Tatiana Pieterse, Georgia Pilon, Steven Ronquillo, Elizabeth Schuster, Abby Stevenson, Nicholas Stuart, Anna Toohey, Summer Warman-Hupp, Maeve Williams, Jassmine Yatpho

Year 9
Callum Bowen, Addison Bailey, Sienna Cavanagh, Sophia Chen, Tessa Cherian, Lilliana Comber, Harrison Cooke, Archie Dickson, Sophie Eastburn, Sophia Goodridge, Jessica Ibe, Layla McCoy, Charlotte Newstead, Elsie O'Brien, Matilda Pickering, Sarayu Prakashbabu, Holly Ransom, Ada Robinson, Charlotte Scott, Zara Simmonds, Zoe Street, Mikayla Truscott, Matthew White

Year 10
Thashiru Abayawickrama, Chloe Bleechmore, Harrison Braybon, Bella Burden, Charles Carr, Heidi Connolly, Maggie Cowell, Liam Crowley, Abigail Davis, Sophie Egan, Angela Evans, Phoebe Fitzgerald, James Fletcher, Ava Francisco, Brontie Frost, Elspeth Gill, Zachary Glencross, Julia Gray, Alayna Haque, Michael Ibe, Tallulah Jones, Kirralee McAlister, Tayla Mongan, Gwendolyn Pickering, Jim Sullivan, Vaylia Sunderland, Brodie Walker, Amelia Winsley

Year 11
Joely Bruce, Daniel Butcherine, Jessica Bywater, Brodie Clark, Sophie Connolly, Charlotte Cooke, Lilli Ferrari, Eamonn Fitzgerald, Ty Good, Darby Haycock, Jake Hodges, Keeley Howard, Sandaru Kularathne, Jhuela Lopez, Erica Louys, Emily Mann, Piper Matheson, Archie Morgan, Chloe O'Keefe, Kieran Quinlin, MIlind Rana, Vishaka Rupasinghe, Eve Sarantzouklis, Olivia Sarantzouklis, Natalie Villanueva

Year 12 Trials

Trial Exams continue this week, and we wish our Year 12 students every success.

Here are some really useful links to boost Trials study and preparation:

Study Planner Template

2024 HSC Trial Examinations Schedule

HSC Examinations - Past Papers

HSC Standards Materials - Sample Responses

Atomi Study Tips

Art of Smart Trials Mark Calculator

It is an extremely busy and often stressful time for students as these important exams typically coincide with the submission of major projects in many subjects. Students are reminded that there are lots of supports in place to navigate this time.

Here are some essentials:

• Understand all of your commitments over the next 2 weeks - including those relating to sport, work, social life, family etc.
• Plan your time so you have a clear understanding of when you can study and what to focus on.
• Use the resources in your “Year 12 Study Skills” course in Atomi.
• Make sure you know how your exam paper works by viewing past papers and doing some practice questions. 
• Ask for help - from your teachers, your Year Leader, your family - to help you stay on track, to help you clarify your understanding, and especially, to help you create a strategy if you are feeling really stressed.

Year 11 Preliminary Exams

Our Year 11 students will complete their end of course exams in Week 6 and 7. 

We wish them all the best in their final preparation over the next 2 weeks.

Students have been issued with their exam timetable.

7 - 9 Exams

Term 3 assessment tasks for 7 - 10 students are examinations. These are a formal style of examination that will take place in a study hall.

Notifications for these assessments are now starting to appear in Canvas. 

These notifications have a revision guide linked, and appear like the example below. 

Students are expected to be starting to incorporate some revision activities into their routines at home to ensure they are prepared and confident approaching their exams.

For some additional support, don’t forget about the Canvas course that focuses on study skills and is found on students’ Canvas Dashboards.

Year 8 Subject Selection

Year 8 will commence the process of selecting subjects for Year 9 in Week 6.

This is an exciting time for Year 8 as they take their first steps towards shaping their education according to their strengths and interests.

Students will be introduced to subject selection in a Year group assembly, and will bring home an information pack that they can work through with their parents to guide their choices.

Warm regards

Catherine Jones
Leader of Teaching and Learning

Geography

The results from the Australian Geography Competition have been released. St Johns College Stage 6 Geography students have received some outstanding results.

The Australian Geography Competition is a contest for Australian secondary school students, assessing their geographical knowledge and skills. Over 54 000 students from 600 schools entered the competition in 2024. Congratulations to the following students who received the following awards. High Distinction - Zavier N (Top 7% in Australia); Distinction - Erica L; Credit - Jack T, Archie M and James N.

Mr Andy Haycock | Class Teacher

Visual Arts

Ceramics

In Year 9 Visual Arts we have been working to create ceramic coil-built vessels. Inspired by the Art Nouveau movement, students have incorporated elements inspired by nature into their designs. These pots will soon be fired in the kiln and glazed to complete the process.

Mr Peter Bourke | Class Teacher

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 9

Next

Pathways Hub

Yr 11 2025 Subject Selection Interviews

Yr 11 2025 Subject Selection Interviews were held last week to help the students choose the subjects that will best suit them for the HSC.Thank you to the parents and carers for attending, it was a wonderful opportunity to work with you and your child to help them achieve the best outcome for their final years of schooling.

Agriculture

SJC Cattle Team - EKKA Brisbane Show 

During Week 3, 14 students and 2 parent helpers attended the Ekka with Mr Ben Toll and Miss Caitlin Bowman where they showed 14 head of cattle over three days. There was tough competition but we had some amazing results. They include the following: 
 - Sophia R coming third in the 14-15 Paraders Competition 
- Jemima F picking up a highly commended in the 16-18 Paraders Competition 
- Layla D, Chloe L and Jemima F in their well spoken speech in the Schools team Junior Judging Competition 
- Jemima F and her Heifer placing 1st in the Junior Heifer Class 
- Fletcher H and his Heifer placing 4th in the Junior Heifer Class 
- Jade P and her Steer placing 2nd in the Junior Steer Class 
- Chloe L and her Steer placing 2nd in the Open heavyweight Steer Class 

With the highlight being Layla D and her Steer taking out Champion Lightweight Steer!

We had an amazing time and cannot wait to start preparing for the upcoming shows that we will be attending next year. 

Miss Caitlin Bowman and Mr Ben Toll

Maths

Recently Mrs Gough, Mr Doyle and Mrs Hornby attended a Maths Inservice Day that was facilitated by Peter Liljedahl in regard to Building Thinking Classrooms.

Since then there have been various activities in their classrooms at SJC that have used some of the techniques that Peter taught them at the Inservice. The following photos show some of the students from Years 9 and 11.

Mrs Jo Hornby | Class Teacher

First Lego League

Today marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the "Circuit Wizards," St John’s offical robotic team, as they embark on their preparation for the prestigious First Lego League competition this November. This is a groundbreaking moment, as it is the first time a school in Dubbo has entered such a competition, making it a thrilling opportunity for both the school and its students.

Over the coming weeks, with the support and guidance of Mr McDonald, the team will harness their knowledge in programming, engineering, problem-solving, and science to design and build a robot, along with all necessary attachments, to tackle 15 unique challenges.

While the team has yet to finalize their innovation project, we eagerly anticipate what they will come up with.

Sport

NSW All Sport Touch Football Carnival

On Tuesday the SJC Boys and Girls Touch Football teams played at the NSW All Sport Touch Football Carnival. This  competition includes the winners of all the regional events around the state.
Results for the day:
- Round 1: Slow start for our boy’s first game going down to Mater Maria. Girls tied with St Claire HS.- Round 2: The boys then had a good win 3-1 against Inverell High School. Girls won 3-0 against Kildare Catholic College.- Round 3: The boys started strong against Tweed River High School with an epic play called Kiwi. The boys had a draw 3-3. Girls had a strong win 4-0 against Mount St Benedict.- Round 5: The boys had a good win against Carrol College 3-1. Try of the match went to an epic swan dive in the corner by Lucas Large. Girls continued their winning streak, winning 4-1 against Lindesfarne Anglican.- Round 6: The boys then played a very competitive game against Hunter Sports High going down 4-2. A narrow loss against SCEGGS Darlington, girls going down 3-4.- Round 7: The girls were very competitive against Hunter Sports, but went down 0-2. Boys were finished for the day and came 3rd in their pool.- Semi-final: The girls made the semi-final after finishing 2nd in their pool. Despite their awesome efforts, they went down to Tomaree HS 2-5. Overall both the boys and girls played amazingly throughout the day, showcasing a lot of skill, talent and heart and representing the school with pride.

Mr Zac O'Leary | Boys Coach
Miss Jesse Doran | Girls Coach

Ella P Flys to Peru to Compete at the World U20 Athletics Championships

Ella P will be competing at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Lima, Peru between the 27th August and the 31st August. She will compete in heats for the 4 x 400m relay on the 27th August and if successful they will be competing in the final on the 31st August.The Year 12 Cohort got together on Friday to celebrate this momentus occasion. Best wishes for an amazing experience Ella. We are extremley proud of you and will be cheering you on all the way! 

NSW CCC Country Rugby League

The Boys AFL team travelled to Sydney to play in the Greater Sydney AFL Finals Gala Day on Wednesday 14th August.

The boys were defeated by St Greg's Campbelltown 31-14 and Westfield Sports High 46-12. Well done to the boys on their efforts as they also battled miserable conditions. Thanks to Mrs McAlister who did all the lead up work and to Miss Doran who stepped in at the last minute to help out.

Mr Dave McAlister | Sports Coordinator

Diocesan 10's Rugby Union Gala Day - Mudgee

Four teams travelled to Mudgee on Wednesday to compete in the Diocesan 10-a-side Rugby Union Gala Day in some very wet conditions.
The 7/8 boys and the 9/10 boys put on some strong performances and went through the day undefeated, taking out first place in their age groups.

The 7/8 girls showed a lot of grit and determination in their games and finished 2nd overall, winning 2 out of 4 of their games.
The 9/10 girls faced some strong competition early on but bounced back in their final game and finished with a strong performance to claim 3rd in their division.

Please congratulate all students involved with today when you get a chance. They brought such a great attitude and were outstanding representatives of the school.

Massive thanks also to Amelia Knight, Stuart Burke and Emily Simpson for their work today coaching their teams.

Mr Connor Burke | KLA Leader PDHPE

Resource Hub - Library

Attendance

We care about attendance because we care about your child.

School Fees

Dear Parents/Guardians 

Updated College statements were emailed out to families last Friday 9 August 2024. Please contact me if you did not receive yours.

Thank you to our families who have paid their College fees.

Families paying their fees by the term please note instalment 3, the last instalment for the year, is due by 16 August 2024.

For families making regular, weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments please ensure your payment plan is on track to have your College fees account finalised by 30 November 2024.

To ensure your College fees account is on track please note from today, Friday 16 August 2024 there are 16 weeks, 8 fortnights or 4 months until fees are due. Contact the College Fees Office if you need to adjust your payment plan.

HSC fees are due by 31 October 2024.

If you wish to discuss your account please contact the College Fees Office on 6841 5142 or email m.carlow@bth.catholic.edu.au.

Kind Regards 

Maree Carlow
Administration Finance Leader

Free Parent/Carer Webinars

Council of Catholic Schools Parents Free Webinars for Parents and Carers (CSNSW Ref: 167/24)

Breaking Point with Dr Justin Coulson
Wednesday 11 September from 7.00pm – 8.00pm

Join Dr Justin Coulson, Australia’s leading parenting expert, as he unpacks the mental health crisis enveloping our kids. He’ll cover:

• The root causes behind the deteriorating state of mental health, and who (or what) is responsible
• The tools you need to reverse this trend for your children
• Science-backed, relationship-focused strategies to remedy school refusal
• Realistic approaches for managing screen time in a way that protects your child’s wellbeing without completely alienating them from their peers
• Creating margin in your home and family life to protect and promote mental wellness

To register click here.

Important Dates

Term 3 2024

If you would like to add the St Johns College Calendar
to your google calendar please click on this link.

Friday 16th August
Academic Care Assembly

Monday 19th August
Diocesan Basketball Gala Day
White Card Training

Wednesday 21st August
Year 7 2025 Orientation Day 9.30am - 2.10pm

Thursday 22nd August
Diocesan Athletics Carnival

Friday 23rd August
Nominated Leaders Retreat Day
'Rise Up' Faith Formation Event for CSYMI students - Orange

Tuesday 27th August & Wednesday 28th August
CCC Netball - Penrith
Merino Wether Challange - Dubbo

Monday 2nd September
Year 7-10 Exams begin

Tuesday 3rd September
Year 12 Captains Speeches
HSC Industrial Technology Woodwork Exhibition

Thursday 5th September
Netball NSW Schools Cup

Friday 15th September
HSC Visual Arts Exhibitiion

Community News

Dubbo Stampede

Time is ticking until the Dubbo Stampede, the largest annual sporting event for individuals in Dubbo. 25th August will see the 5.3k Dingo Dash and the fully certified 10k, Half Marathon and Marathon events start, finish and travel through our very own Dubbo Zoo.

For some Wednesday trivia - did you know that for a road racing course to be valid for a world record attempt, three criteria must be satisfied? And yes - the certified courses at Dubbo meet all three!

Criteria are

- Must be the stated distance plus 0.1%, as measured by a certified AIMS measurer, as per the shortest possible racing line
- Start and finish line cannot be further than half the race distance apart as a direct path

- No more than 1m/km overall altitude/elevation drop

Interestingly, iconic courses such as Boston and Sydney marathons and the recent City to Surf do not meet all these requirements - but Dubbo does.

In other news, 2024 will be the last year the Dubbo Stampede will start, finish and go through Dubbo Zoo, with a new start/finish location and all new courses to be designed for next year. So if you wanted to run with the animals in this iconic event, this will be your last year to do so - so don't miss out!

Warm regards

Mr Eggleston